I cherish my 95 year old grandmother and she’s still kick-in’ it. Her and my Pappy taught me canning and gardenin’. They talked about the ol’ timers all the time. Childhood memories were wonderful!
Donnie, I’m a 31 year old Millennial and I adore your videos. You’ve become like a grandparent to me watching all your stories and history here on TH-cam. Everyday on my lunch break at work I sit down with my lunch pop in my headphones and disappear into a time from long ago. I sometimes wish so badly I could turn back the clock and live in the mountains with all that rich history and story telling. For the younger generation I am apart of, there’s a lot of us out here who are so tired of modern living because something is missing. Life my have been harder in the old mountains but it was simple, you loved one another, and there was Faith in the community. I hope you continue to make these videos for as long as you can. I’m highly blessed to watch your videos every day. Take care.
Young man, I can see that you’re a blessing! You have a heart to honor those who have gone on before us, and God wants us to do just that. Hold on to your faith, in good times and bad. We may be heading for some tough times ahead, but Jesus can give us His strength to endure!
Folks I've had the pleasure of living a small part of what he says I remember smelling the coal from the stoves when the snow was flying and the smell of a big o brown cat head biscuit in the oven every morning and was a better time in life I'm only 57 years of age but I still remember the day mamaw and papaw got their first in house commode I was tickled by the way it flushed
Adam, I feel the same, {Despite being much older than you!} I think the past was better in many ways. Or perhaps it's ''Distance that lends enchantment to the view''.
Appalachian country folks are some of the smartest, intelligent, wise and prudent people in the world. I'm richer because of my people there!!! Proud of my roots. Well done brother Donny! ❤ Also more resourceful and determined!
I grew up in Texas with a neighbor lady who was born in 1901. Her stories are very similar to the stories you tell. I learned to cook from her. She had an old wood burning stove and made everything from scratch. Raised their food on their farm. I really loved her and miss sitting on her kitchen porch shelling peas etc.
Some of the best lessons in life I learned from my grandparents. We were raised on a Centennial Farm (Est. 1894). As I look at life now, it scares me more than I can say. Life wasn't always a walk in the park, but we learned early that taking care of the family was the most important thing - no matter what may lie ahead, we would always have each other. Thank you for another glimpse of the past - and I hope that we never let the history of our past fade away into the night. We need to keep this candle lit for the generations to come. 💖💖💖
It crosses my mind frequently these days, what you said about grandparents. When we're young we don't pay much attention to the stories and wisdom they had of former days and lessons learned. Sure like to hear those stories now though. Thank you, Donnie.
My grandfather carried one of those old tool boxes, open style rectangular with just a carry handle. Didn't hold a lot of tools, but he could fix anything with them. He lived until he was 98, and he did the crossword and the word jumble in the newspaper everyday until he passed. My grandmother cooked from scratch and she canned everything. She was a fantastic cook! My great aunt (grandfather's sister) lived until she was 99 and made the best homemade apple sauce. She was born in 1904. My great uncle was born in 1903, was German and had a sharpening shop. He taught me how to sharpen anything by hand. He and my great aunt had travelled to every state (except Hawaii) and every Canadian province together BY CAR by the time I was born in 1968. They were married over 69 years when he passed. All of them were very loving and the wisest people I have ever known. I miss them every day. I would give ten years of my life for just ten more minutes with them.
I am old enough to remember wood sheds and out houses and wood stoves. We lived in the Shenandoah Valley about 2 miles from the town of Shenandoah. Also lived in McGageysville. I remember grandaddy would butcher 2 or 3 hogs in the fall and Uncle Raymond would butcher a cow or so so everybody had meat for the winter. We always had canned vegetables and fruit from the garden. We ate good. But the thing I remember most about fall butchering is the outdoor fire pit after slaughtering the hogs and granny would render lard and make chittlins in a big old cast iron pot. Nothing like em. We didn't have much money, but we were rich in a lot of ways. A lot better off then than we are now. God bless you for keeping our history going.
Thank you, Donnie, for a wonderful walk back through history. I really love listening! My mother's side of the family lived just like you did but in southern Tennessee. My father was from American Samoa in the South Pacific. My mother died a year ago. All her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are taking her ashes back to Hawaii to be buried with my father. Even though my mother was from Arkansas, she lived in Hawaii for over 40 years. Hawaii was her home and where she raised her children.
Donnie, even the sound of your voice with your deep southern country boy accent makes me feel comfortable and nostalgic. I'm 61 years old and I remember everything that you speak about just like you say how you remember the things of our youth's in Appalachia, Southeastern USA, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia areas. Love your channel Donnie, may God bless you and your family 👪 ❤
Donnie, I so greatly appreciate your videos, and most of all your historical storytelling. My 5x great grandpa is Daniel Boone. My mama's people came from Appalachia in Tennessee and North Carolina. My mama was born in Lynch, Kentucky in 1923 when her daddy (O.L. McIntosh) was a machinist for the US Steel coal mine there. Everything in my bones longs to be closer to those mountains -- some say it is the magnetic frequencies and the serpentine in those beautiful mountains. My Granny Grace taught me canning, cross stitch embroidery, sewing, cooking fatback and cornbread. She had her own braided rugs she had made from old suits and clothes. I have my great-grandma's double wedding ring quilt. I learned some gardening from Grandpa Mac, he built a barn on his Somerset, Kentucky property and even in the early 1970's had a side of salt pork hanging in the barn. Something about my heritage makes these hills and the old roads so precious to me. I suspect that my great Grandma McIntosh was part Cherokee too - jet black hair and those beautiful high Cherokee cheekbones -- my Grandpa Mac looked like a Cherokee warrior. Thank you for showing Highway 25E in your other videos -- my mama told stories of riding over the gap to visit my grandpa's brother, Uncle Bern in Burnsville, NC. This was how my Aunt Virginia died from pneumonia having traveled in the unheated 1920's car on a visit to Uncle Bern, such a long trip from Lynch, Kentucky. My middle name was from Virginia, my mama's precious little 8-yr old sister. Penicillin came out only a few years later. When I visited my grandparents at their Somerset home, I was always shocked and a little bored on the first day or so. Then, I started helping Granny Grace or Grandpa, started reading old Readers' Digest magazines and rocking in the rocking chair, and played with my cousins (all imaginary/pretend games) outside or in the cool basement. I would love to meet you Donnie -- you sound like home to my ear! God bless you and thank you again, sir!
WOW that's so much amazing history. Thanks so much for sharing your memories and story. WOW Daniel Boone. He's my favorite frontiersmen. Awesome. God bless you.
At my Mom's funeral some years ago, it was announced she was a direct descendent of Daniel Boone. From what I can piece together the bloodlines came through the Martins and Greenes. Her Dad was a Smith. I like these videos too. Grandma and Grandpa Smith taught me the old ways. 🙏😊
I was raised by two of the greatest generation. My pawpaw was in the (3CCC)THE CCC'S HE WENT IN THE ARMY AND SERVED THROUGH WAR WAR ll..They were born in 1921 and 1924 .They were in there middle 50's when they got me at 3yrs old and raised me in all they knowed.Most people my age can't resonate with them. They instilled there wisdom and hard work ,canning, planting a garden and harvesting. They built there houses from the ground up.Most people have know idea ..the taught me how to hunt and fish.we worked before the sun com up and didn't come home until the sun went down .I miss them so much. What I would give to spend one more day with them. Thank you so very much.
I miss my grandparents and father so much. I learned so much from them and my mother, but there was so much more that they knew that didn't get passed on. And like you said, there's so many questions I didn't even know enough to ask until they were gone. God bless you, Brother Donnie, for making these videos and trying to keep as much of the old ways alive. Like it or not, we're gonna need to know those old skills again.
I am proud to be a hillbilly straight out of the Appalachian Mountains my Daddy came from a family of 19 children and Mama came from a family of 14 and there were 7 of us. Lord how my heart longs for the days of being with my Granny and Paw or my Mamaw ad Pa Paw
Watching this makes me thankful for what I got! They had one bad problem after another! But, they never gave up. They were truly the greatest generation!
Please never quit telling the tales of Appalachian Mountain Folks. I wish more people alive today were like the old school Appalachian folks. I am only 20 years ago but I got nothing but respect for my elders
I feel the same way about all my grandparents, especially my paternal "Nanny". She was devout, always had a cheerful but no-nonsense attitude, always busy with housework, cooking, gardening, sewing, knitting and canning. I stayed over her house for almost a month to recover from a hospitalization when I was nine. I enjoyed learning "hands-on" what she taught me about gardening, embroidery and kindness to animals. She had three little dogs, an aging cat, and a zebra finch, and I helped her take care of them. She enrolled me as a member of her favorite charity, "Friends of Animals". I loved listening to Nanny tell stories while we sat on her porch eating ice cream in the summer evenings. She passed away when I was 20. Here I am, 67 years old, and I still miss her!
Such a sweet video and archival photos Donnie......Love that 1950 Ford in there as well.... . they are the greatest generation...they endured so much..and could make just about anything from nothing...we were blessed to have the time we did with them....the hunting and fishing ....the holidays and gatherings....and listening to their stories ...they taught and showed us how to live....I miss them so...... God Bless you and yours Brother , and Thank you for the video.
My grandfather was born less than a year from when “Devil” Anse Hatfield passed away on January1, 1922. He easily could have known people directly involved in the feud. He is over 100, still driving and has gotten to hold my grandchild! He was in the war. He also never had electricity until he got home from the war. It’s amazing how connected we are to the in the past if we are willing to do there research like you have.
As always I enjoy watching your videos about the history. I wish there were something like the CCC that the younger people could be a part of today. Maybe they’d learn something
What is the MOST REDICULIOUS is when The working man was having it Rough the WORTHLESS EXCUSES FOR HUMANS in Washington DC was still sucking up their Tax Money that they DID NOT DESERVE!!!!!
Donnie, I remember asking my grandmother about the Depression in 9th grade US history. She said " We were tobacco farmers who raised our own food. We really didn't notice much difference." I never forgot that. She lived to be 102 before passing in 2017. Love your videos!
Some absolutely beautiful old photographs of resilience, the people and the places that poignantly tell the stories and makes you wonder about the faces and what their lives were like
This is such a great history video of what it was truly like back in those days. So many could learn what families did before electric, indoor plumbing, no cars, etc. Donnie thank you so very much for all the work you do GOD BLESS YOU
I love videos like this. My grandpa Weaver and Grandpa Cole both from Blue Ridge Georgia. They told me so many stories and I also grew up like this. I chopped wood,worked in the garden. My family had pigs,chickens, cows and we grew up living hard. I had 6 brothers and I was the only girl.
I said something to my mother about it being hard during the depression. She said, "Really wasn't hard on us kids. It was tough on our parents. They were the ones that really had to scratch and feed us and get us what we really needed it." My father's parents were in Oklahoma and right in the heart of the dust bowl. Lost a farm and a general store. Moved to New Mexico and became sharecroppers. Did well later in life.
Hi Donnie - I agree with you - great generations for sure! The stories my grandparents and mom and dad told me. I wish I had paid more attention when they were alive. Being a normal kid unfortunately I didn’t until I got older but I do remember some of them. I used to kid my dad about straightening out bent nails, saving old screws, and saving any old wood no matter how small it was. He would cut leather dog leashes if they broke, save the pieces, and make new ones. He would say “if you lived through the depression like I did you wouldn’t just toss good things out. I remember when there was no new ones to buy and if there was we couldn’t afford to buy them.” I also remember my mom sweating and canning all Summer and Fall for food for the winter. She would patch our clothes - my dad’s hunting clothes and rubber boots were more patches than original fabric. All these were due to the depression and the fear of not having things at our finger tips like we do today. Thanks for the great video and the memories.
Hey I'm only 46 and I have 2 broken collars hangin here, I am gonna use the pieces. My kids tell me I'm cheap, but I see it as "saving" money. Great story. I fear the tough times will be here again within 20yrs or so. I can't believe the epidemic of homelessness in our cities! They can't all be drug addicts at this point. 💗
Hi Donnie. This was excellent, just perfect! A real nice tribute and homage to the hard working and hard living folks of the mountain. You have a very good knack for telling a story and teaching history at the same time. It’s no wonder your channel is successful. I’ve been watching your current videos as you put them out, and I’m also watching your archived videos. Thank you for the entertainment you provide and I wish you all the best going forward. Big fan from the state of Wisconsin here.
Thank you for sharing your stories. My auntie lived to be 102 and had a sound mind, shared so much knowledge. I remember visiting my grandparents in Arkansas on the farm, memories come flooding back, wood stove, tobacco hanging in the barn, cotton picking, butchering and canning, quilting, bucket dropping down in the well, out house, bathing in a horse trof outside with sheet hung between the trees, washing clothes with an old wringer washer, getting fingers pinched , making butter and ice cream, kinfolk coming over on sundays to share a meal, so many memories...
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL VIDEO. I BROUGHT BACK MY CHILDHOOD. I WAS BORNE IN 1950. I CAN REMEMBER MY GRANDMOTHERs BIG STOVE IN THE KITCHEN, HER MAKING SOAP IN THE BASEMENT WASHING CLOTHES BY HAND. MY GRAND PA MAKING MOONSHINE IN THE BASEMENT...I DIDNT KNOW WHAT IT WAS BACK THEN. I KNOW WHEN THE KILLED A CHICKEN AND PLUCKED IT, I HATED THE SMRLL OF THOSE WET FEATHERS, BUT WE HAD BIG FEATHER TICKS ON OUR BEDS TO KEEP US WARM . I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS, I LIVE IN N. E. OHIO, WE HAVE HILLS, FARM LAND, LOTS OF WOODS. WHEN I WATCH YOUR VIDEOS FROM LONG AGO, IT WARMS MY HEART THINKING ABOUT HOW NICE IT WAS TO GROW UP IN A SMALL TOWN, CLOSE TO MY GRAND PARENTS, COUSINS AUNTS AND UNCLES. GOD BLESS YOU FOR MAKING MY DAY.
You are a great story teller and I love your videos! Im 56 and had family in NC many years ago. We live in Florida now but I remember some of the things you talk about. My granny lived to 105, God rest her soul, she has been gone 6yrs. But she planted and worked her garden at 92. She was a midwife in her early years and believed in natural plant remedies, she still practiced the Appalachian traditions/indian until she was able. I carry on her remedies any time I can. God Bless
Thank you Donnie for the memories! I was raised exactly as you described.. Born in 1958 ..And lived in the West Virginia mountains.. I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks again Sir for the pure and very real way it was.. God Bless Brotherman
My late father was part of "the Greatest Generation"-he survived WWII as a crew member on a B25. Thanks for the recognition of these Americans. Enjoying your videos from northeastern Kentucky. Many thanks!
The highest grade any of my grandparents completed was 7th grade. High school was down town and none of them had transportation to get the 10 miles to go. I say that because I want you to know that no college professor ever had the life skills and smarts in general that my grandparents had. They could read and write enough to get along but they had common sense and skills that would sustain through the hardest of times. I thank God for all they taught me and the gentle AND tough love and lessons they gave. Their stories were the best whether true or scary stories. Honestly, the scary stories were likely true too because they were based on local legend and experiences. (Yes, I believe in spirits and ghosts!) Anyway, so glad to have your channel to remind me of all the good things we had even though we thought sometimes we didn’t have much.
Brother I love listening to you talk about the mountains and the people . My mom came from virginia and tenn and all parts of the mountains ,and they grew up on a sharecroppers farm raising tobacco.i tell ya the stories she told me about not having but mabey one pair of shoes (mostly winter ) ,it made me appreciate what she did to raise us in such better conditions..but there has always been a part of me that calls me to the mountains,I guess it's in my blood .I hope to one day move up there with my mom's side of the family .just wanted to tell ya how much I appreciate you keeping their stories alive .
Another great video Mr Donnie. I love the history of the Appalachias and you my friend are like the entire history book about them. You grew up tough but man, I’m jealous. I don’t know if you remember me because you reply to a lot of people on TH-cam but I’m the 13 year old boy that lives in Oregon. My dad said that maybe this spring he’ll go over to West Virginia and look for a good job. I really hope that I can grow up in the Appalachian mountains while I’m still young, if you know what I mean. Thanks for the video Donnie. Y’all stay safe out there. 🇺🇸🤠🇺🇸
Hats off to these folks. They were the inventors of their day. You were correct Donnie they had a lot of wisdom and we weren't even interested when we were young. They had so much to share as far as knowledge. I have much respect for them. Thanks my friend for sharing this history. Sincerely , Louise
another great video. i'm surprised you didn't mention share cropping. i'm gen x and my mom and her family lived and worked on other peoples land since they didn't have their own. even the youngest would help pick cotton. during the depression it was common for a stranger to come across them picking and just start picking too in exchange for a meal then go on his way.
Thank you for sharing these stories and talking about this. I'm 41 yrs old. My grandparents were born in the 1920s and early 1930s and they told me so many stories and show me how to do things old way
I always enjoy your videos. It takes me back to my childhood day. I was raised poor too. I can remember having an outhouse and a well. I can remember seeing mom hanging out clothes on the clothes line. Time has moved on, but my mind goes back sometimes.
Logging killed. My granddad when my dad was 14. They had cut a poplar tree the day before and the men got a cross cut saw hung in the tree trunk he was trying to help them get it unhung a limb fell from another tree hit him behind the ear he died right there in my dad's arms.that was in graceville Florida about 1924.
Such a great video. Love and appreciate a time of long ago and a time that sometimes I long for. What great hardworking people we came from. What great memories of the past to never forget. Thank you.
I loved my Grandfather on my Dad's side and when I had a NDE he was waiting for me with open arms at the end of that long black tunnel. Thing is the good Lord gave me the choice to go back and so I did. Until then Grandpa I hope your still waiting.❤🙏🏼
Gosh Donnie, this video evokes so many fond memories of growing up in this rural part of East Tennessee. From gardening, canning, and farming to cooking, baking and Apple Butter making. All of these life skills were taught to me at an early age by my wonderful grandparents. Thanky much sir for taking us down memory lane once again.
They were the greatest generation! I remember MY grandparents, and their wisdom, I miss them dearly! Thank you for making history come to life, and memories of loved ones who are gone! God Bless Mr. Laws.
This is a great piece of work you put together here. It makes me feel like I stepped into a time machine and was able to be a fly on the wall during the great depression in these rural communities.
I used to love listening to my Aunt Mid tell stories about growing up in Grundy Va. during the depression, my grandaddy coal mined untill he got enough money to open a general store, and untill a flood came and took his house, barn, and all his possessions he worked that store and farmed the surrounding land, great video Brother, appreciate you!, God bless!
My Mother in Law still has an old fire cook stove they still use quite often in the winter time up in West Virginia. It does make the best cornbread and bisquits!! I truly enjoyed this video Donnie!!!!
I'm heating and cooking on my old cookstove, it heats my whole house. Am using my old wringer washer, canning, etc. Put in a summer kitchen last year for canning, etc. I've always felt I was born in the wrong Era. I have all the modern things but prefer my old things. Smiles. I'm in Heaven. My friends call me crazy and nuts. LOL. Live ur videos Donnie. God Bless u and yours.
I really like the stories you tell. You tell them very well. Im 50 years old and im from yhe flat land but ive been to the mountains of w.v. Tennessee Ohio yall are very good people and i wish i could go back it time well when i listen to you tell them well i guess im right there with yea. I thank you and plz keep on telling them....
I can't thank you enough for sharing this with us, Donnie. My husband and I have a dream of moving to Appalachia and living a simpler life in our retirement. I know it won't be easy, and I'm sure it won't be nearly as hard as it was back in the day, but it would be nice if more people would go back to doing at least some of these things like living off the land more.. Seeing the old empty houses makes me sad...if walls could talk! I was fortunate to have my grandpa live with us for a while, and he loved telling stories about when he was young. Wish I would have listened a little closer now and I regret that. I'm going to share this with my uncle. He'll be 90 next week, and I'm sure he has many more stories to tell. God bless you for sharing your time, your wisdom and the beauty and even the sadness of days gone by.
I Wasn’t graced with having many ol’ timers to grow up with and pass knowledge and stories. But I knew the value of it and even as a small kid ate up the stories like it was candy just spend hours listening to everything I could. Always think of these times when I hear the line from Something to be proud of “But I'd always end up starry-eyed, cross-legged on the floor”
Bless you Donnie,these times are important for people to know about! I can't even imagine the dust bowl,it took the top soil for growing too 😳. Thank you 😊 JO JO IN VT 💞💨❄️
Hey Donnie I just came across your channel and immediately subscribed! I live in Minnesota but my Granpa was from Big Chimney, West Virginia so I have heard many stories of back in the hills and Appalachia has a very special place in my heart, and always will! I thank you for your stories and history...please keep it up and I will pass your site onto my boys.
Boomer here Donnie, u might like the book Life is so Good written by George Dawson or in Search of York by Robert T. Betts. Both my grandmothers had outhouses w the catalog, spiders, snakes n other small critters on occasion. Thank u so much for telling these stories. My mom was one of ten children raised on the family farm outside Pittsburgh PA who lived thru the Great Depression. Many memories of the way I grew up. So blessed n as children we were totally unaware of their hardships. Thank u again n again for these wonderful videos. 😊🤗🤗🙏🏻🙏🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
It was very nice to meet you today Mr. Laws. Me and my cousin chatted with you for a spell today at the Walmart. Another great video. My dad used to tell us we are lucky we didn't have to tote water.
Yes sir Donnie my granny on my daddy’s side of the family made some of the prettiest quilts that ever was made still like that in my mind. I miss them times so bad so bad.
I am a Real McCoy and I can remember all of these things too! I was born in 1946 and growing up in mid-Kentucky we had no plumbing or central heat but we did have electricity. I just think back and remember how hard my mother had to work just to carry water to heat for baths, laundry or washing dishes and just for drinking. Now that I am a great grandmother I can really appreciate how hard things were for her. She was a city girl so was not used to living like this. We were poor but so was everyone else so we three girls didn't know it. Even our 4 room school house had no plumbing or heat. A coal stove in each room. I still have a garden and preserve most of everything I get out of it. I am the only person I know who makes jams and jellies and pickles. We had no livestock; only chickens. My dad worked as a truck driver for the Crosley Company. He usually came home on the weekends. He taught me how to clean fish, squirrels, rabbits and chickens and how to cook them. I know I could survive if we had to go back to living off the land. It is a good skill to have.
Thank you so much for this informative video it was amazing you brought me back to a life I had growing up. Moving just remarkable! Fav part is them making their own clothes out of grain sacks.
My daddy was born in Harlan in 1916 . My granny moved them to Middlesboro later on. After getting hurt in the coal mines they moved to Indiana where i was born and raised . But frequent trips down home and one blissful summer living in Ocoonita hollar Virginia I consider those mountains my true home. Thank you for your videos 😅
That was excellent Mr Laws 👏 👩 I could listen to you another hour. It is a fact that a great person is not declared great until after they have folded thier tent pins, there are a few exceptions, Alexander the Great, Cyrus the Great, but for the most, they have to wait until after they fold thier tent pins, Bless you Mr Laws, from: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Mr. Laws, once again, I applaud your channel! I believe that I've mentioned before that my family is from the Arkansas River Valley, but the stories and history that you tell are the same ones that I grew up listening to or watching my grandparents and great-grandparents actually do. My great grandfather worked for the CCC and my mother still uses her mother's washtubs for canning EVERYTHING from the garden! (They don't make washtubs like that anymore!) Thankfully, my mother has taught me over the last few years how to garden, how to can, and what plants in the forest to know. I'm writing it all down to pass on to my three young ladies when they want to know, "How did Mamaw make her beets or her green beans taste so good?" Thank you again for your hard work. It is a blessing and brings joy to my heart! Have a good day!
@@donnielaws7020 One thing you mentioned, and I miss so much, is gathering at someone's home and listening to my Daddy and the old timers play the best music and tell the best stories!
Love this, what stories my Baba had told me, she was my heart an soul and I am glad I spent so much time with her, makes me sad and miss her. Tough times, but my Baba said they were happy and sometimes didn't even notice how tough they really were, meat n potato's even though she never knew what kind of meat, lol yup she said squirrel was on the menu, sometimes, I just can't imagine, lol. Loves these very rich stories. Thank you Donnie !
I cherish my 95 year old grandmother and she’s still kick-in’ it. Her and my Pappy taught me canning and gardenin’. They talked about the ol’ timers all the time. Childhood memories were wonderful!
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing this.
Beautiful you are blessed as well as I. You cannot put a price tag on that. God bless.
You are so blessed. All of my grandparents/great grandparents were all gone by the time I was 15.😢
🙏🏻Blessed
How blessed you are ! ❤
Donnie, I’m a 31 year old Millennial and I adore your videos. You’ve become like a grandparent to me watching all your stories and history here on TH-cam. Everyday on my lunch break at work I sit down with my lunch pop in my headphones and disappear into a time from long ago. I sometimes wish so badly I could turn back the clock and live in the mountains with all that rich history and story telling.
For the younger generation I am apart of, there’s a lot of us out here who are so tired of modern living because something is missing. Life my have been harder in the old mountains but it was simple, you loved one another, and there was Faith in the community.
I hope you continue to make these videos for as long as you can. I’m highly blessed to watch your videos every day.
Take care.
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing this. God bless you.
Young man, I can see that you’re a blessing! You have a heart to honor those who have gone on before us, and God wants us to do just that. Hold on to your faith, in good times and bad. We may be heading for some tough times ahead, but Jesus can give us His strength to endure!
I’m 25 years old and I completely agree. We sure are missing out on simpler, richer times. God bless you Donnie.
Folks I've had the pleasure of living a small part of what he says I remember smelling the coal from the stoves when the snow was flying and the smell of a big o brown cat head biscuit in the oven every morning and was a better time in life I'm only 57 years of age but I still remember the day mamaw and papaw got their first in house commode I was tickled by the way it flushed
Adam, I feel the same, {Despite being much older than you!} I think the past was better in many ways.
Or perhaps it's ''Distance that lends enchantment to the view''.
Appalachian country folks are some of the smartest, intelligent, wise and prudent people in the world. I'm richer because of my people there!!! Proud of my roots. Well done brother Donny! ❤
Also more resourceful and determined!
Amen my friend. Thanks for sharing this. Thank you friend.
I grew up in Texas with a neighbor lady who was born in 1901. Her stories are very similar to the stories you tell. I learned to cook from her. She had an old wood burning stove and made everything from scratch. Raised their food on their farm. I really loved her and miss sitting on her kitchen porch shelling peas etc.
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing your memories. God bless you.
Oh, that brings back memories of stringing and breaking beans as a child helping the family. 😊
Some of the best lessons in life I learned from my grandparents. We were raised on a Centennial Farm (Est. 1894). As I look at life now, it scares me more than I can say. Life wasn't always a walk in the park, but we learned early that taking care of the family was the most important thing - no matter what may lie ahead, we would always have each other. Thank you for another glimpse of the past - and I hope that we never let the history of our past fade away into the night. We need to keep this candle lit for the generations to come. 💖💖💖
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing your memories with us. God bless you.
It crosses my mind frequently these days, what you said about grandparents. When we're young we don't pay much attention to the stories and wisdom they had of former days and lessons learned. Sure like to hear those stories now though. Thank you, Donnie.
Thanks for sharing this my friend. Your very welcome.
My grandfather carried one of those old tool boxes, open style rectangular with just a carry handle. Didn't hold a lot of tools, but he could fix anything with them. He lived until he was 98, and he did the crossword and the word jumble in the newspaper everyday until he passed. My grandmother cooked from scratch and she canned everything. She was a fantastic cook! My great aunt (grandfather's sister) lived until she was 99 and made the best homemade apple sauce. She was born in 1904. My great uncle was born in 1903, was German and had a sharpening shop. He taught me how to sharpen anything by hand. He and my great aunt had travelled to every state (except Hawaii) and every Canadian province together BY CAR by the time I was born in 1968. They were married over 69 years when he passed. All of them were very loving and the wisest people I have ever known. I miss them every day. I would give ten years of my life for just ten more minutes with them.
Awesome my friend. Thanks so much for sharing your memories. God bless you.
I am old enough to remember wood sheds and out houses and wood stoves. We lived in the Shenandoah Valley about 2 miles from the town of Shenandoah. Also lived in McGageysville. I remember grandaddy would butcher 2 or 3 hogs in the fall and Uncle Raymond would butcher a cow or so so everybody had meat for the winter. We always had canned vegetables and fruit from the garden. We ate good. But the thing I remember most about fall butchering is the outdoor fire pit after slaughtering the hogs and granny would render lard and make chittlins in a big old cast iron pot. Nothing like em. We didn't have much money, but we were rich in a lot of ways. A lot better off then than we are now. God bless you for keeping our history going.
Thanks my friend for sharing your memories with us. God bless you.
Thank you for your testimony, I'm in North Georgia, and a baby boomers too, so many great memories!!!
Thank you, Donnie, for a wonderful walk back through history. I really love listening! My mother's side of the family lived just like you did but in southern Tennessee. My father was from American Samoa in the South Pacific. My mother died a year ago. All her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are taking her ashes back to Hawaii to be buried with my father. Even though my mother was from Arkansas, she lived in Hawaii for over 40 years. Hawaii was her home and where she raised her children.
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing your memories with us. God bless you.
Beautiful story and it's so nice they are spreading her ashes in Hawaii.
Donnie, even the sound of your voice with your deep southern country boy accent makes me feel comfortable and nostalgic. I'm 61 years old and I remember everything that you speak about just like you say how you remember the things of our youth's in Appalachia, Southeastern USA, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia areas. Love your channel Donnie, may God bless you and your family 👪 ❤
Awesome my friend. Thank you. Your very welcome. God bless you.
Me too my Dad n my sister 2 brothers from Albany ky
@@donnielaws7020 I love yr channel awesomeness
Donnie, I so greatly appreciate your videos, and most of all your historical storytelling. My 5x great grandpa is Daniel Boone. My mama's people came from Appalachia in Tennessee and North Carolina. My mama was born in Lynch, Kentucky in 1923 when her daddy (O.L. McIntosh) was a machinist for the US Steel coal mine there. Everything in my bones longs to be closer to those mountains -- some say it is the magnetic frequencies and the serpentine in those beautiful mountains. My Granny Grace taught me canning, cross stitch embroidery, sewing, cooking fatback and cornbread. She had her own braided rugs she had made from old suits and clothes. I have my great-grandma's double wedding ring quilt. I learned some gardening from Grandpa Mac, he built a barn on his Somerset, Kentucky property and even in the early 1970's had a side of salt pork hanging in the barn. Something about my heritage makes these hills and the old roads so precious to me. I suspect that my great Grandma McIntosh was part Cherokee too - jet black hair and those beautiful high Cherokee cheekbones -- my Grandpa Mac looked like a Cherokee warrior.
Thank you for showing Highway 25E in your other videos -- my mama told stories of riding over the gap to visit my grandpa's brother, Uncle Bern in Burnsville, NC. This was how my Aunt Virginia died from pneumonia having traveled in the unheated 1920's car on a visit to Uncle Bern, such a long trip from Lynch, Kentucky. My middle name was from Virginia, my mama's precious little 8-yr old sister. Penicillin came out only a few years later. When I visited my grandparents at their Somerset home, I was always shocked and a little bored on the first day or so. Then, I started helping Granny Grace or Grandpa, started reading old Readers' Digest magazines and rocking in the rocking chair, and played with my cousins (all imaginary/pretend games) outside or in the cool basement.
I would love to meet you Donnie -- you sound like home to my ear! God bless you and thank you again, sir!
WOW that's so much amazing history. Thanks so much for sharing your memories and story. WOW Daniel Boone. He's my favorite frontiersmen. Awesome. God bless you.
At my Mom's funeral some years ago, it was announced she was a direct descendent of Daniel Boone. From what I can piece together the bloodlines came through the Martins and Greenes. Her Dad was a Smith. I like these videos too. Grandma and Grandpa Smith taught me the old ways. 🙏😊
Hello Mr. Donnie,look forward to your videos
Thank you friend.
I was raised by two of the greatest generation. My pawpaw was in the (3CCC)THE CCC'S HE WENT IN THE ARMY AND SERVED THROUGH WAR WAR ll..They were born in 1921 and 1924 .They were in there middle 50's when they got me at 3yrs old and raised me in all they knowed.Most people my age can't resonate with them. They instilled there wisdom and hard work ,canning, planting a garden and harvesting. They built there houses from the ground up.Most people have know idea ..the taught me how to hunt and fish.we worked before the sun com up and didn't come home until the sun went down .I miss them so much. What I would give to spend one more day with them. Thank you so very much.
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing your memories with us. Your very welcome. God bless you.
I miss my grandparents and father so much. I learned so much from them and my mother, but there was so much more that they knew that didn't get passed on. And like you said, there's so many questions I didn't even know enough to ask until they were gone.
God bless you, Brother Donnie, for making these videos and trying to keep as much of the old ways alive.
Like it or not, we're gonna need to know those old skills again.
Amen my friend. Thanks for sharing this. God bless you.
Love these as I live here in Gatlinburg TN Smoky Mountains Park 🏞️ ..Great job
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing this.
I am proud to be a hillbilly straight out of the Appalachian Mountains my Daddy came from a family of 19 children and Mama came from a family of 14 and there were 7 of us. Lord how my heart longs for the days of being with my Granny and Paw or my Mamaw ad Pa Paw
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing your memories. God bless you.
Watching this makes me thankful for what I got! They had one bad problem after another! But, they never gave up. They were truly the greatest generation!
Amen my friend. Thanks for sharing this.
Please never quit telling the tales of Appalachian Mountain Folks. I wish more people alive today were like the old school Appalachian folks. I am only 20 years ago but I got nothing but respect for my elders
Thank you friend. God bless you.
I'm so proud of my Appalachian heritage and blood line. Thanks so much for your videos.
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing this. Your very welcome.
I feel the same way about all my grandparents, especially my paternal "Nanny". She was devout, always had a cheerful but no-nonsense attitude, always busy with housework, cooking, gardening, sewing, knitting and canning. I stayed over her house for almost a month to recover from a hospitalization when I was nine. I enjoyed learning "hands-on" what she taught me about gardening, embroidery and kindness to animals. She had three little dogs, an aging cat, and a zebra finch, and I helped her take care of them. She enrolled me as a member of her favorite charity, "Friends of Animals". I loved listening to Nanny tell stories while we sat on her porch eating ice cream in the summer evenings. She passed away when I was 20. Here I am, 67 years old, and I still miss her!
So sorry for your loss my friend. I know how you feel. Thanks for sharing your memories. God bless my friend.
Such a sweet video and archival photos Donnie......Love that 1950 Ford in there as well.... . they are the greatest generation...they endured so much..and could make just about anything from nothing...we were blessed to have the time we did with them....the hunting and fishing ....the holidays and gatherings....and listening to their stories ...they taught and showed us how to live....I miss them so......
God Bless you and yours Brother , and Thank you for the video.
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing. Your very welcome. God bless you.
My grandfather was born less than a year from when “Devil” Anse Hatfield passed away on January1, 1922. He easily could have known people directly involved in the feud. He is over 100, still driving and has gotten to hold my grandchild! He was in the war. He also never had electricity until he got home from the war.
It’s amazing how connected we are to the in the past if we are willing to do there research like you have.
WOW Thanks for sharing this my friend.
As always I enjoy watching your videos about the history. I wish there were something like the CCC that the younger people could be a part of today. Maybe they’d learn something
Thanks for sharing this my friend. Thank you.
What is the MOST REDICULIOUS is when The working man was having it Rough the WORTHLESS EXCUSES FOR HUMANS in Washington DC was still sucking up their Tax Money that they DID NOT DESERVE!!!!!
Thanks for sharing this my friend.
Donnie, I remember asking my grandmother about the Depression in 9th grade US history. She said " We were tobacco farmers who raised our own food. We really didn't notice much difference." I never forgot that. She lived to be 102 before passing in 2017. Love your videos!
WOW Thanks for sharing this my friend.
Some absolutely beautiful old photographs of resilience, the people and the places that poignantly tell the stories and makes you wonder about the faces and what their lives were like
Thank you friend for sharing this. Our history.
@@donnielaws7020 thank you for telling the stories 💜
This is such a great history video of what it was truly like back in those days. So many could learn what families did before electric, indoor plumbing, no cars, etc. Donnie thank you so very much for all the work you do GOD BLESS YOU
Thank you friend. Your most very welcome. God bless you.
DL is a gift for telling us
@@MaineUSA I totally agree with you
I love videos like this. My grandpa Weaver and Grandpa Cole both from Blue Ridge Georgia. They told me so many stories and I also grew up like this. I chopped wood,worked in the garden. My family had pigs,chickens, cows and we grew up living hard. I had 6 brothers and I was the only girl.
Thank you friend for sharing your memories with us. God bless you.
I said something to my mother about it being hard during the depression. She said, "Really wasn't hard on us kids. It was tough on our parents. They were the ones that really had to scratch and feed us and get us what we really needed it."
My father's parents were in Oklahoma and right in the heart of the dust bowl. Lost a farm and a general store. Moved to New Mexico and became sharecroppers. Did well later in life.
WOW Thanks for sharing this my friend. Them was hard times. God bless you.
Good Afternoon Mr Donnie!😊❤️
Hello my friend. Your very welcome.
I feel lazy now 😃! Amazing people! Thank you for sharing this, Donnie! God bless! ❤
Your very welcome my friend. God bless you.
Asked grand dad one day how his family survived the depression,he replied they were so poor they couldn't tell a difference.self reliance saved them
Thanks for sharing this my friend.
Hi Donnie - I agree with you - great generations for sure! The stories my grandparents and mom and dad told me. I wish I had paid more attention when they were alive. Being a normal kid unfortunately I didn’t until I got older but I do remember some of them. I used to kid my dad about straightening out bent nails, saving old screws, and saving any old wood no matter how small it was. He would cut leather dog leashes if they broke, save the pieces, and make new ones. He would say “if you lived through the depression like I did you wouldn’t just toss good things out. I remember when there was no new ones to buy and if there was we couldn’t afford to buy them.” I also remember my mom sweating and canning all Summer and Fall for food for the winter. She would patch our clothes - my dad’s hunting clothes and rubber boots were more patches than original fabric. All these were due to the depression and the fear of not having things at our finger tips like we do today. Thanks for the great video and the memories.
Awesome story my friend. They lived hard. God bless you. Your very welcome my friend.
Hey I'm only 46 and I have 2 broken collars hangin here, I am gonna use the pieces. My kids tell me I'm cheap, but I see it as "saving" money. Great story. I fear the tough times will be here again within 20yrs or so. I can't believe the epidemic of homelessness in our cities! They can't all be drug addicts at this point. 💗
@@StarDreamMemories 👍🏼
Hi Donnie. This was excellent, just perfect! A real nice tribute and homage to the hard working and hard living folks of the mountain. You have a very good knack for telling a story and teaching history at the same time. It’s no wonder your channel is successful. I’ve been watching your current videos as you put them out, and I’m also watching your archived videos. Thank you for the entertainment you provide and I wish you all the best going forward. Big fan from the state of Wisconsin here.
Thank you friend. Thanks so much for saying this. Your very welcome. God bless you.
Your an old soul Donnie...God bless.
Thank you friend. God bless you.
Thank you for sharing your stories. My auntie lived to be 102 and had a sound mind, shared so much knowledge. I remember visiting my grandparents in Arkansas on the farm, memories come flooding back, wood stove, tobacco hanging in the barn, cotton picking, butchering and canning, quilting, bucket dropping down in the well, out house, bathing in a horse trof outside with sheet hung between the trees, washing clothes with an old wringer washer, getting fingers pinched , making butter and ice cream, kinfolk coming over on sundays to share a meal, so many memories...
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing your memories with us. Your very welcome. God bless you.
Thank you Sir 😊👋 .. we have become soft 😊
Your very welcome my friend.
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL VIDEO. I BROUGHT BACK MY CHILDHOOD. I WAS BORNE IN 1950. I CAN REMEMBER MY GRANDMOTHERs BIG STOVE IN THE KITCHEN, HER MAKING SOAP IN THE BASEMENT WASHING CLOTHES BY HAND. MY GRAND PA MAKING MOONSHINE IN THE BASEMENT...I DIDNT KNOW WHAT IT WAS BACK THEN. I KNOW WHEN THE KILLED A CHICKEN AND PLUCKED IT, I HATED THE SMRLL OF THOSE WET FEATHERS, BUT WE HAD BIG FEATHER TICKS ON OUR BEDS TO KEEP US WARM . I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS, I LIVE IN N. E. OHIO, WE HAVE HILLS, FARM LAND, LOTS OF WOODS. WHEN I WATCH YOUR VIDEOS FROM LONG AGO, IT WARMS MY HEART THINKING ABOUT HOW NICE IT WAS TO GROW UP IN A SMALL TOWN, CLOSE TO MY GRAND PARENTS, COUSINS AUNTS AND UNCLES. GOD BLESS YOU FOR MAKING MY DAY.
Awesome my friend. Thanks so much for sharing your memories with us. God bless you.
You are a great story teller and I love your videos! Im 56 and had family in NC many years ago. We live in Florida now but I remember some of the things you talk about. My granny lived to 105, God rest her soul, she has been gone 6yrs. But she planted and worked her garden at 92. She was a midwife in her early years and believed in natural plant remedies, she still practiced the Appalachian traditions/indian until she was able. I carry on her remedies any time I can. God Bless
That's awesome my friend. God bless you. Thanks so much for sharing your story and memories with us. Thank you. Again God bless you my friend.
Thank you Donnie for the memories! I was raised exactly as you described.. Born in 1958 ..And lived in the West Virginia mountains.. I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks again Sir for the pure and very real way it was.. God Bless Brotherman
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing this. God bless you. Your very welcome.
My late father was part of "the Greatest Generation"-he survived WWII as a crew member on a B25. Thanks for the recognition of these Americans. Enjoying your videos from northeastern Kentucky. Many thanks!
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing this. God bless you. Your very welcome.
The highest grade any of my grandparents completed was 7th grade. High school was down town and none of them had transportation to get the 10 miles to go. I say that because I want you to know that no college professor ever had the life skills and smarts in general that my grandparents had. They could read and write enough to get along but they had common sense and skills that would sustain through the hardest of times. I thank God for all they taught me and the gentle AND tough love and lessons they gave. Their stories were the best whether true or scary stories. Honestly, the scary stories were likely true too because they were based on local legend and experiences. (Yes, I believe in spirits and ghosts!) Anyway, so glad to have your channel to remind me of all the good things we had even though we thought sometimes we didn’t have much.
WOW Thanks for sharing your story and memories with us my friend. God bless you.
Brother I love listening to you talk about the mountains and the people . My mom came from virginia and tenn and all parts of the mountains ,and they grew up on a sharecroppers farm raising tobacco.i tell ya the stories she told me about not having but mabey one pair of shoes (mostly winter ) ,it made me appreciate what she did to raise us in such better conditions..but there has always been a part of me that calls me to the mountains,I guess it's in my blood .I hope to one day move up there with my mom's side of the family .just wanted to tell ya how much I appreciate you keeping their stories alive .
WOW Thanks so much for sharing your story and memories. God bless you my friend. Thank you.
Awesome
Thank you friend.
Laying here listening to your video getting homesick to see my parents again someday. 😢time marches on and waits on no one! ✝️🙏❤️
God bless you my friend. Thanks for sharing.
Another great video Mr Donnie. I love the history of the Appalachias and you my friend are like the entire history book about them. You grew up tough but man, I’m jealous. I don’t know if you remember me because you reply to a lot of people on TH-cam but I’m the 13 year old boy that lives in Oregon. My dad said that maybe this spring he’ll go over to West Virginia and look for a good job. I really hope that I can grow up in the Appalachian mountains while I’m still young, if you know what I mean. Thanks for the video Donnie. Y’all stay safe out there. 🇺🇸🤠🇺🇸
Awesome my friend. Thank you. Your very welcome. God bless you.
Quite a resilient people. Their influence is everywhere... especially the music.
Amen my friend. Thanks for sharing this.
Hats off to these folks. They were the inventors of their day. You were correct Donnie they had a lot of wisdom and we weren't even interested when we were young. They had so much to share as far as knowledge. I have much respect for them. Thanks my friend for sharing this history. Sincerely , Louise
another great video. i'm surprised you didn't mention share cropping. i'm gen x and my mom and her family lived and worked on other peoples land since they didn't have their own. even the youngest would help pick cotton. during the depression it was common for a stranger to come across them picking and just start picking too in exchange for a meal then go on his way.
Awesome my friend. I plan to do a video on that. Thanks for sharing this. God bless you.
@@donnielaws7020 i look forward to seeing it . Gob bless you too.
Very nice collection of photos for an awesome history video!
Thank you friend.
Thanks Donnie for sharing another great history story of the past in Appalachia.
Your very welcome my friend.
I'm 68 from northeastern Ontario Canada, and I also remember all that you talk about.
I absolutely love these videos by DONNIE LAWS! Keep them coming Sir! Thank you! God Bless!
Awesome my friend. Glad you enjoy them. Thanks so much. Your very welcome.
Thank you for sharing these stories and talking about this. I'm 41 yrs old. My grandparents were born in the 1920s and early 1930s and they told me so many stories and show me how to do things old way
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing. Your very welcome. God bless you.
I always enjoy your videos. It takes me back to my childhood day. I was raised poor too. I can remember having an outhouse and a well. I can remember seeing mom hanging out clothes on the clothes line. Time has moved on, but my mind goes back sometimes.
Thanks for sharing this my friend.
Logging killed. My granddad when my dad was 14. They had cut a poplar tree the day before and the men got a cross cut saw hung in the tree trunk he was trying to help them get it unhung a limb fell from another tree hit him behind the ear he died right there in my dad's arms.that was in graceville Florida about 1924.
So sorry to hear that my friend. God bless you.
I'm sorry gezzzz
Thank you Donnie . Awesome video.
Thank you friend. Your very welcome.
Such a great video. Love and appreciate a time of long ago and a time that sometimes I long for. What great hardworking people we came from. What great memories of the past to never forget. Thank you.
Thank you friend. Your very welcome.
In 2008 i saw a Lunar rainbow in the fog about 4:30 a.m.
WOW Thanks for sharing this my friend.
I'll have Google that meaning
I listen to your stories while I'm working on my PC. It's very soothing. I'm so proud of these people. Happy Independence Day!
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing this. God bless you. HAPPY 4th of July.
I never get tired of your vedios,,Thank You,,We will see them again in heaven one day,,Love & Prayers✝️🛐💜
Amen my friend. God bless you.
Donnie, I'm so glad I found your channel! YOU know my people as well as yours! Nothing but Love for you my friend! God bless!
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing this. God bless you.
I loved my Grandfather on my Dad's side and when I had a NDE he was waiting for me with open arms at the end of that long black tunnel. Thing is the good Lord gave me the choice to go back and so I did. Until then Grandpa I hope your still waiting.❤🙏🏼
Awesome my friend. God bless you.
Gosh Donnie, this video evokes so many fond memories of growing up in this rural part of East Tennessee. From gardening, canning, and farming to cooking, baking and Apple Butter making. All of these life skills were taught to me at an early age by my wonderful grandparents. Thanky much sir for taking us down memory lane once again.
Awesome my friend. Glad you enjoyed it. God bless you. Thanks so much. Your very welcome.
I remember my grandmother talking about the depression. I learned a lot. Many days I wish she was still here.
Thanks for sharing this my friend.
Good video as always. yes they were the greatest generation. Take care, be safe and well.
Thank you friend. God bless you.
Remember battery operation radios remember kerosene lamps remember outside toilet oh lived it all
Thanks for sharing this my friend. God bless you.
They were the greatest generation! I remember MY grandparents, and their wisdom, I miss them dearly! Thank you for making history come to life, and memories of loved ones who are gone! God Bless Mr. Laws.
Awesome my friend. Your very welcome. God bless you.
This is a great piece of work you put together here. It makes me feel like I stepped into a time machine and was able to be a fly on the wall during the great depression in these rural communities.
Awesome my friend. So glad you enjoyed it. God bless you. Thanks so much.
I used to love listening to my Aunt Mid tell stories about growing up in Grundy Va. during the depression, my grandaddy coal mined untill he got enough money to open a general store, and untill a flood came and took his house, barn, and all his possessions he worked that store and farmed the surrounding land, great video Brother, appreciate you!, God bless!
Awesome my friend. Thanks so much for sharing your memories. God bless you.
My Mother in Law still has an old fire cook stove they still use quite often in the winter time up in West Virginia. It does make the best cornbread and bisquits!! I truly enjoyed this video Donnie!!!!
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing this.
Love hearing this the generation of the Appalachia people what a. Great generation the old generation is about gone thanks buddy
Thank you friend. This is so true. Your very welcome. God bless you.
Your very welcome absolutely true thanks very much god bless you also
I'm heating and cooking on my old cookstove, it heats my whole house. Am using my old wringer washer, canning, etc. Put in a summer kitchen last year for canning, etc. I've always felt I was born in the wrong Era. I have all the modern things but prefer my old things. Smiles. I'm in Heaven. My friends call me crazy and nuts. LOL. Live ur videos Donnie. God Bless u and yours.
WOW that's awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing your story with us. That's truly amazing. God bless you.
I really like the stories you tell. You tell them very well. Im 50 years old and im from yhe flat land but ive been to the mountains of w.v. Tennessee Ohio yall are very good people and i wish i could go back it time well when i listen to you tell them well i guess im right there with yea. I thank you and plz keep on telling them....
Thank you so much my friend for sharing this. I really appreciate that. God bless you. Your very welcome.
Love to hear the stories of the old times. Those was the best days
Awesome my friend. God bless you.
Remember growing up like this. We were poor but didn't know it. Makes me homesick.
Thanks for sharing this my friend.
🌞👍Amen
Oh how I love hearing these stories!! If you recall The Walton's "The Homecoming", that snowy scene of the mtns reminded me of the opening scene...
I can't thank you enough for sharing this with us, Donnie. My husband and I have a dream of moving to Appalachia and living a simpler life in our retirement. I know it won't be easy, and I'm sure it won't be nearly as hard as it was back in the day, but it would be nice if more people would go back to doing at least some of these things like living off the land more.. Seeing the old empty houses makes me sad...if walls could talk! I was fortunate to have my grandpa live with us for a while, and he loved telling stories about when he was young. Wish I would have listened a little closer now and I regret that. I'm going to share this with my uncle. He'll be 90 next week, and I'm sure he has many more stories to tell. God bless you for sharing your time, your wisdom and the beauty and even the sadness of days gone by.
Awesome my friend. Thanks for your dreams with us. God bless you friend.
This so much reminds me of my grandparents. They are long gone as well as my children’s grandparents. I am the grandparent now.
I understand that all to well my friend. God bless you. Thanks for sharing this.
Toughest people ever lots of heart never give up godly people made out with what they had unlike most people today😢
Amen my friend. Thanks for sharing this. God bless you.
Always a pleasure to listen to.
Thank you friend.
I Wasn’t graced with having many ol’ timers to grow up with and pass knowledge and stories. But I knew the value of it and even as a small kid ate up the stories like it was candy just spend hours listening to everything I could. Always think of these times when I hear the line from Something to be proud of “But I'd always end up starry-eyed, cross-legged on the floor”
Thanks for sharing this my friend. God bless you.
I listening to you...I could sit here for hours and listen ❤❤❤
Thank you friend.
What an awesome video & thank you Donnie for posting this👏!!!
Bless you Donnie,these times are important for people to know about!
I can't even imagine the dust bowl,it took the top soil for growing too 😳.
Thank you 😊
JO JO IN VT 💞💨❄️
Thank you friend. Your very welcome.
Your voice is just the best. Thanks for sharing your stories.
Thank you friend. Your very welcome.
Hey Donnie I just came across your channel and immediately subscribed! I live in Minnesota but my Granpa was from Big Chimney, West Virginia so I have heard many stories of back in the hills and Appalachia has a very special place in my heart, and always will! I thank you for your stories and history...please keep it up and I will pass your site onto my boys.
Awesome my friend. Thanks so much. Welcome!. God bless you.
Boomer here Donnie, u might like the book Life is so Good written by George Dawson or in Search of York by Robert T. Betts. Both my grandmothers had outhouses w the catalog, spiders, snakes n other small critters on occasion. Thank u so much for telling these stories. My mom was one of ten children raised on the family farm outside Pittsburgh PA who lived thru the Great Depression. Many memories of the way I grew up. So blessed n as children we were totally unaware of their hardships. Thank u again n again for these wonderful videos. 😊🤗🤗🙏🏻🙏🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
WOW Thanks so much for sharing this my friend. God bless you. Your very welcome.
Spot on! My grands were born in '28 and '32.. from s.e. Ky.. sir you are so correct in your assesment!
Thanks for sharing this my friend.
It was very nice to meet you today Mr. Laws. Me and my cousin chatted with you for a spell today at the Walmart. Another great video. My dad used to tell us we are lucky we didn't have to tote water.
Awesome my friends. So glad to have met you all. Really enjoyed talking to you. God bless you my friends.
Yes sir Donnie my granny on my daddy’s side of the family made some of the prettiest quilts that ever was made still like that in my mind. I miss them times so bad so bad.
Awesome my friend.
Love your videos Mr Donnie Laws so interesting
Thank you friend.
I am a Real McCoy and I can remember all of these things too! I was born in 1946 and growing up in mid-Kentucky we had no plumbing or central heat but we did have electricity. I just think back and remember how hard my mother had to work just to carry water to heat for baths, laundry or washing dishes and just for drinking. Now that I am a great grandmother I can really appreciate how hard things were for her. She was a city girl so was not used to living like this. We were poor but so was everyone else so we three girls didn't know it. Even our 4 room school house had no plumbing or heat. A coal stove in each room. I still have a garden and preserve most of everything I get out of it. I am the only person I know who makes jams and jellies and pickles. We had no livestock; only chickens. My dad worked as a truck driver for the Crosley Company. He usually came home on the weekends. He taught me how to clean fish, squirrels, rabbits and chickens and how to cook them. I know I could survive if we had to go back to living off the land. It is a good skill to have.
Thanks for sharing your memories and story my friend. God bless you.
Thank you so much for this informative video it was amazing you brought me back to a life I had growing up. Moving just remarkable! Fav part is them making their own clothes out of grain sacks.
Awesome my friend. Your very welcome.
My daddy was born in Harlan in 1916 . My granny moved them to Middlesboro later on. After getting hurt in the coal mines they moved to Indiana where i was born and raised . But frequent trips down home and one blissful summer living in Ocoonita hollar Virginia I consider those mountains my true home. Thank you for your videos 😅
WOW Thanks for sharing your story and memories with us my friend. God bless you.
I do enjoy listening to your stories.
Awesome my friend. Thank you so much.
That was excellent Mr Laws 👏 👩 I could listen to you another hour. It is a fact that a great person is not declared great until after they have folded thier tent pins, there are a few exceptions, Alexander the Great, Cyrus the Great, but for the most, they have to wait until after they fold thier tent pins, Bless you Mr Laws, from: Scranton,
Pennsylvania
Thank you so much my friend. God bless you.
Mr. Laws, once again, I applaud your channel! I believe that I've mentioned before that my family is from the Arkansas River Valley, but the stories and history that you tell are the same ones that I grew up listening to or watching my grandparents and great-grandparents actually do. My great grandfather worked for the CCC and my mother still uses her mother's washtubs for canning EVERYTHING from the garden! (They don't make washtubs like that anymore!) Thankfully, my mother has taught me over the last few years how to garden, how to can, and what plants in the forest to know. I'm writing it all down to pass on to my three young ladies when they want to know, "How did Mamaw make her beets or her green beans taste so good?"
Thank you again for your hard work. It is a blessing and brings joy to my heart! Have a good day!
Awesome my friend. Thanks so much for sharing your story and memories my friend. God bless you. Your very welcome.
@@donnielaws7020 One thing you mentioned, and I miss so much, is gathering at someone's home and listening to my Daddy and the old timers play the best music and tell the best stories!
Awesome my friend. Thanks for sharing.
Love this, what stories my Baba had told me, she was my heart an soul and I am glad I spent so much time with her, makes me sad and miss her. Tough times, but my Baba said they were happy and sometimes didn't even notice how tough they really were, meat n potato's even though she never knew what kind of meat, lol yup she said squirrel was on the menu, sometimes, I just can't imagine, lol. Loves these very rich stories. Thank you Donnie !
Awesome my friend. Your very welcome. God bless you.
Thank you for sharing... I believe we're going to return to this way of living sooner than we think... many changes happening in the world.
Thanks for sharing this my friend. Your very welcome. God bless you.